MIRS Monday Podcast

MIRS Monday, Dec. 1, 2014

In this "Lame Duck Primer" edition, the MIRS crew breaks down Speaker Jase Bolger's road funding alternative. Is this posturing? A scare tactic? A final offer before the House, Senate and Governor hammer out a compromise involving a ballot proposal? Also, what are the best bargaining chips the House and Senate possess?

Sarah Hubbard, a principal with Acuitas, shares her observations of lame duck from a multi-client lobbyist standpoint. What are all those lobbyists doing working the tiles this time of year?

MIRS Monday, Nov. 24, 2014

Down to 11 members, how does the Senate Democratic caucus keep their morale up and plan for the future? Is majority even a realistic possibility in 2018? Incoming Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich gives his opinion (13:30).

Also, Tom Hickson of the Michigan Catholic Conference urges the Legislature to pass a new Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Why does his group think this is so urgent?

And MIRS Editor Kyle Melinn quickly runs down the Michigan Republican Party and Michigan Democratic Party chairs races.

MIRS Monday, Nov. 17, 2014

What is the political reality for an Elliott-Larsen expansion bill in lame duck without the active support of AT&T President Jim Murray? What other issues look to be in big trouble during the last few weeks of the 2013-14 session? And why are House Republicans bringing up an Electoral College reform bill?

Emily Dievendorf of Equality Michigan talks -- among other issues -- about the possibility of an Elliott-Larsen expansion measure and a gay marriage legalization initiative getting on the 2016 ballot together.

MIRS Monday, Nov. 10, 2014

Much was made about the Michigan Democratic Party's voter turnout operation, but how much different was it from what the Michigan Republican Party did? MRP Chair Bobby Schostak gives his assessment of that. Also, what was the difference between running against MDP Chair Lon Johnson and former chair Mark Brewer? Will Schostak run for a third term as chair?

Also, MIRS plays a game of Monday morning quarterback with incoming House Minority Floor Leader Sam Singh on what more could have been done to improve the Democrats' numbers in the House.

MIRS Monday, Nov. 3, 2014

MIRS warms up for Election Tuesday with Publisher John Reurink hosting a roundtable with Kelly Rossman-McKinney of Truscott Rossman, Jack Spencer with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Dan McMaster with Grassroots Midwest and Ed Saprolus of Target Insyght.  

From how the two gubernatorial campaigns have run their races down to the five or six key legislative races that will decide the balance of power in the House and Senate.  

MIRS Monday, Oct. 27, 2014

First congressional candidate Jerry Cannon questions whether U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek fought hard enough to prevent the high electric rates the Upper Peninsula is facing. He also defends his military service at Guantanamo Bay and charges of alleged abuse of detainees. The Democrat also addresses what happened with the Obamacare controversy from early in the campaign, among other issues.

Also, new campaign finance reports are out and the MIRS team breaks down the legislative races and projects how the state Senate and state House will look like after Nov. 4.  And what did editor Kyle Melinn find inside his 6^th grade class' 30-year time capsule he and his Byron Center classmates dug up last week?

MIRS Monday, Oct. 20, 2014

Nobody has raised even half of what Democrat Paul Clements has managed to raise in his campaign against U.S. Rep. Fred Upton in MI-6. How has he done it? He shares his secret in today's edition. Plus, he talks about his belief that Upton purposely dodged a debate with him.

Also, MIRS Publisher John Reurink declares U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land "toast."

MIRS Monday, Oct. 13, 2014

Who won last night's gubernatorial debate? The MIRS team gives its assessment as well as highlighting places where Mark Schauer missed opportunities. Who did better in their debate, Schauer in 2014 or Virg Bernero in 2010? Did Twitter add anything to the conversation? MIRS Monday extends an invitation to host its own debate.

Also, Board of Education candidate Pamela Pugh Smith calls for the dissolution of the Education Achievement Authority and a moratorium on new charter schools.

Post Debate Commentary -- 10/12/14

Raw audio from the spin room after the debate. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing), Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson take questions in the post-debate spin room. Gov. Rick Snyder (8:50) gives his post-debate analysis.

MIRS Monday, Oct. 6, 2014

Nobody has released more published Michigan political polls since 1998 than Steve Mitchell and Bernie Porn's EPIC-MRA. This week, the two appear together in person for a rare joint discussion on the polling business and insights into the 2014 election. Mitchell says U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land could still win, despite being down by 13 in his own survey. And Porn talks about which poll question he refused to personally answer.